Gig Harbor volleyball team to rely on skill and experience

Tides were one match away from qualifying for state last season

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

If there were a tide rolling in, the Gig Harbor High School volleyball team would be the sharks.

Tides head coach Sue Westering has been telling her team to be relentless, to attack as if they smell blood in the water.

“The team is embracing that, and hopefully they can play that way,” Westering said.

If there’s one quality Gig Harbor possesses, it’s maturity. The Tides return nine seniors and three juniors to a team that advanced to the Class 4A West Central District tournament last year.

Gig Harbor came within one match of the state tournament but fell to league rival Olympia. The Tides finished third in the Narrows League last year (9-5 overall, 8-2 league) behind Bellarmine Prep (10-3 overall, 9-1 league) and Olympia (13-1 overall, 10-0 league).

The Tides may not be the tallest this year. In fact, Westering said they may be one of the more undersized teams in the Narrows League.

But she also said the Tides will “play up.”

“It’s a group I’ve been a part of since I started coaching (four years ago),” Westering said. “They know the expectations and the level of excellence.”

Gig Harbor has been on the cusp of advancing to state two years in a row. Now they hope their upperclassman-heavy team is ready for another run.

Senior Kelsie Jenkins said the team is eager to set the bar high and explode through the roof.

“This year, there is a lot more maturity,” Jenkins said. “Every girl has leadership potential.”

Tides senior Maddy Miller said she’s excited to see what happens.

“I think this year is especially important, because we’re so mature,” Miller said. “So a lot of us really want it.”

Many of the girls on the team play for a club, so they’ve been competing year-round. Their first league match is scheduled for tonight at 6 at South Kitsap High School.

Gig Harbor senior Anna Guenther said the team comes back with a lot of court experience.

“We’re basically just adding a couple positive additions, and all we can do is get better,” Guenther said. “There is no going backwards.”

Westering said the team’s work ethic is strong, and they each have unique strengths.

As for being undersized, that hasn’t stopped them from finishing toward the top of their league each year.

“Every day we identify within ourselves what we need to do as a person and an athlete to get better,” Westering said. “And they all try and do that.”

Another early season highlight will be when the Tides play the crosstown rival Peninsula Seahawks at 7 p.m. Friday at Peninsula High School.

Gig Harbor volleyball

Coach: Sue Westering

2008 Narrows League champs: Olympia (Tides finished third in league at 8-2)

Key losses: Kelsey Potter, Lauren Komarzec, Amber Meyers, Andrea Gagliano

Newcomers: Emily Blaser (middle blocker), Anna Griffth (setter), Kellie Andrews (defensive specialist)

Captains: Kelsie Jenkins, Maddy Miller, Anna Guenther

Coach prediction: “We won’t match up, but we will play up,” Westering said.

Teams to watch: Olympia, Bellarmine, Stadium and Central Kitsap

Tides schedule

Sept. 8 vs. Fife W, 3-2

Sept. 10 vs. Lakes W, 3-1

Sept. 16 at South Kitsap 6 p.m.

Sept. 18 at Peninsula 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Mount Tahoma 4:45 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Lincoln 4:45 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Shelton 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Stadium 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. South Kitsap 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 8 at Wilson 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 12 vs. Foss 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 14 vs. Bellarmine 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 17 Capital City tournament TBA

Oct. 22 vs. Olympia 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Central Kitsap 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 29-31 Narrows League tournament TBA